Super Bowl Sunday was terrific for the Louisville basketball team as the No. 12 ranked Cards blew past Marquette 70-51 at the KFC Yum Center. Despite a slow start, the Cards turned it on and led by as many as 22 points in the second half. Russ Smith led the way with 18 points, while Peyton Siva scored 14 and dished out seven assists. CardinalSports.com spoke to the Louisville players about the win over Marquette, what sparked the run and some predictions on tonight's Super Bowl XLVII.
Luke Hancock
FG - FGA
3FG - 3FGA
TP
R
S
MIN
2 -4
2 - 4
6
1
0
19
Peyton Siva
FG - FGA
3FG - 3FGA
TP
A
REB
MIN
6 - 9
1 - 4
14
7
3
38
Russ Smith
FG - FGA
3FG - 3FGA
TP
S
A
MIN
6 - 15
2 - 6
18
2
3
30
Montrezl Harrell
FG - FGA
FT - FTA
TP
R
Stl
MIN
3 - 5
0 - 0
6
6
1
16
Stephan Van Treese
FG - FGA
FT - FTA
TP
R
Stl
MIN
2 - 2
0 - 0
4
3
1
15
Marquette vs. Louisville Post-Game Notes •The Cardinals have won eight of the last 10 overall and four straight at home against the Golden Eagles.
•UofL has won 12 of its last 20 against AP ranked opponents. Louisville has a 30-22 record against Top 25 teams over the last six years, including a 21-18 record during the regular season (2-2 this season).
•With their 8-0 run in the first half, the Cardinals have produced 33 runs of 8-0 or better through the first 22 games this season.
•The 8-0 run on Sunday started with a Wayne Blackshear dunk with 8:28 left in the first and concluded with a Russ Smithjumper with 6:48 to go in the first.
•During the 8-0 run, Louisville went from trailing 18-16 to leading 25-18 and the Cardinals never trailed again in Sunday's game.
•Louisville made 27 of 52 shots from the field on Sunday, good for 51.9 percent from the field, their second highest field goal percentage in a BIG EAST game this season (.526/30-of-57 vs. Providence) and their third highest overall.
•UofL is 98-6 over the last 12 seasons under the guidance of coach Rick Pitino when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
•Of Louisville's 27 made field goals on Sunday, 21 came in the paint while the other six came from beyond the three-point range.
•The Cardinals finished with a 38-26 advantage on the glass marking the first time they've won the rebounding battle since their 36-28 edge against UConn on Jan. 14 (four games).
•Louisville improved to 12-1 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
•After entering the game ranked third nationally in steals at 11.2 per game, the Cardinals stayed on that number Sunday with 11 steals against the Golden Eagles.
•Despite turnovers being nearly equal (17 turnovers for Marquette, 16 turnovers by Louisville), UofL finished with a commanding 32-9 advantage in points off turnovers on Sunday.
•With a scoring defense ranked 17th nationally at 57.9 points per game entering Sunday's matchup, Louisville limited Marquette to just 51 points, their fourth lowest point-total of the season.
•The Cardinals are 229-41 in the last 12 seasons when holding their opponents below 70 points, including 16-1 this season.
•With a 19-10 advantage in bench scoring on Sunday, the Cardinals' bench has outscored their opponent's bench in 16 of 22 games this season.
•Marquette was credited with only six assists on Sunday marking the seventh time in 22 games this season that a Louisville opponent has finished with six or fewer assists.
LOUISVILLE PLAYER NOTES
•Junior guard Russ Smith scored a game-high 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field, including 2-of-6 from three-point range. Smith has led the Cardinals in scoring in 14 of 22 games this season.
•Smith has scored in double-figures in 20 of 22 games this season.
•Smith added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in his 30 minutes of action on Sunday.
•Senior guard Peyton Siva added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field while adding a game-high seven assists.
•Siva has handed out six or more assists in 12 of the Cardinals' 22 games this season, including four of the last five.
•With his 14-point performance on Sunday, Siva has scored in double-figures in 13 of 22 games this season.
•With his two steals on Sunday, Siva moved into fifth-place on the Cardinals' career steals leaderboard with 211, surpassing the 210 steals by Terrence Williams (2005-09). Siva is six steals behind the 217 steals by fourth-place Alvin Sims (1993-97).
•With his three blocked shots on Sunday, junior center Gorgui Dieng has blocked a shot in 75 of 85 career games as a Cardinal, including 55 games with multiple blocks (10 of 15 this season).
•Dieng added a game-high eight rebounds marking the 11th time in his 15 games and the eighth time in nine league games he has finished with eight or more rebounds.
•Dieng has led the Cardinals in rebounding in 12 of his 15 games played this season.
•Sophomore guard Wayne Blackshear scored nine points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field marking the fourth time in his last five games he has scored nine or more points.
•Junior guard Luke Hancock scored six points on a pair of three-point baskets marking the ninth time in 22 games he has made two or more three-pointers in a game.
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